G7 leaders commit to increasing climate finance contributions
G7 leaders will commit on Sunday to increase their climate finance contributions to meet an overdue spending pledge of US$100 billion a year to help poorer countries cut carbon emissions and cope with global warming.
As part of plans billed as helping speed the finance of infrastructure projects in developing countries and a shift to renewable and sustainable technology, the world's seven most advanced economies will again pledge to meet the target.
"Protecting our planet is the most important thing we as leaders can do for our people," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.
"As democratic nations we have a responsibility to help developing countries reap the benefits of clean growth through a fair and transparent system. The G7 has an unprecedented opportunity to drive a global Green Industrial Revolution, with the potential to transform the way we live."
It gave no details of or numbers for the new commitments.
Developed countries agreed at the United Nations in 2009 to together contribute US$100 billion each year by 2020 in climate finance to poorer countries, many of whom are grappling with rising seas, storms and droughts made worse by climate change.
That target was not met, derailed in part by the coronavirus pandemic which forced the British government to postpone the United Nations' Climate Change Conference (COP26) until this year.
G7 leaders are also expected to set out action to cut carbon emissions, including measures such as ending almost all direct government support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas and phasing out petrol and diesel cars.
